Full Disclosure: I received complimentary admission for myself and my family in exchange for my honest review of The Butterfly Palace and Rain Forest Adventure in Branson, Missouri. As always, my opinions are my own. At the bottom of this post, I’ve recommended butterfly picture books. The links included with the books are affiliate links which means I’ll receive a small commission if you click through and purchase.

We were blown away by how many activities The Butterfly Palace and Rain Forest Adventure of Branson, Missouri offered. It was much more than a regular butterfly house. The friendly people at the Butterfly Palace understand how young children can get worn out quickly. That’s why their wristbands are good for 3 days. If your kiddos need to take a break for lunch or a nap then you don’t have to stress. You can stop back in to do another activity another day.

After pursuing the gift shop full of treats like cricket suckers (which of course we got!) butterfly books and more we headed for the Banyan Tree Adventure. I wanted to give the boys a chance to use their big muscle groups before they had to be careful and gentle in the Butterfly Aviary.

They liked squeezing through floor to ceiling bungee cords that represented the roots of the Banyan Tree. When they made it to the far corner of the room they delighted in the pond. Not a real pond, but a projected pond with fish that rippled when they walked on it. William played in the pond for quite a while as David continued to find new paths through the Banyan Trees.

Our next stop was the Butterfly Aviary. After we received instructions, we stepped in to the aviary. It was a beautiful space with live trees, flowers and plants galore. The guides gave the boys small plastic test tubes full of a nectar-like liquid and topped with a flower. Before long, they each had butterflies landing on their flowers. It was a great way for them to observe the butterflies up close.

We tried to wear bright colors when we went to the Butterfly Palace. I had heard that the butterflies are attracted to bright colors and would land on our shirts. It was true. They seemed to particularly like our orange shirts, my pink shoes and my husband’s red shoes.

William was thrilled to have butterflies land on his flower. But soon they were landing on his neck and shoulders. Normally he loves all sorts of bugs but on this particular day it really bothered him. He started freaking out a little bit when butterflies tried to get close to him. You never know how a child will react to a butterfly house until they’re actually there.

To distract him a little, I dressed the boys up in a Pith helmet and gave them butterfly identification sheets, a magnifying glass and binoculars that were provided by the Butterfly Palace. They loved it! My husband later informed me that I had misread the sign and that some of the gear was for children ages 5 or 6 or older. Oops!

Twice a day they release newly emerged butterflies for their first flight. A sign outside of the aviary lets guests know when they will be released. The butterflies are imported in the chrysalis stage under strict USDA control. They emerge from the chrysalis then released into the aviary.

Our next stop was the living rain forest center. It was full of reptiles, amphibians and insects from the rain forest.

Full melt down mode!

David and Dad hit the mirror maze where they had a blast. William and I headed for the car as he was getting worn out from the adventure. If our time in Branson wasn’t so packed full of adventures, we would have definitely returned to the Butterfly Palace. There was so much to explore and many things we would have liked to see more than once.